France notifies WHO of second confirmed nCoV case

GEVENA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- France has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of the second laboratory-confirmed case of infection with the novel coronavirus (nCoV), said the WHO on Sunday.

According to a WHO statement, among 120 persons identified as contacts of the first laboratory-confirmed patient in France, laboratory tests were conducted by Pasteur Institute in Paris on five suspected cases, of which four tested negative, one tested positive.

The patient, having shared a hospital room in Valenciennes with the first laboratory-confirmed patient from April 27 to 29, is now isolated in an infectious disease hospital.

The health organization updated that from September 2012 to date, the global total of confirmed cases of human infections with nCoV reached 34, including 18 deaths.

The WHO encouraged all its members to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns, and also advised health care providers to be vigilant among recent travelers returning from areas affected by the virus who develop severe SARI.

The WHO asked all members to promptly notify the organization of any new case of infection with nCoV, along with information about potential exposures that may have resulted in infection and a description of the clinical course.

The WHO did not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it currently recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions.